//------------------------------//
// Gallows Humour 
// Story: The Box in the Everfree 
// by Jh5kPony 
//------------------------------//

Walking through the Everfree Forest had always been somewhat scary for Twilight Sparkle, due to its unnatural state. The forest was dimly lit, with only patches of light giving Twilight a slight clue next where to go. The trees bent in various shapes and forms, of which not even Twilight Sparkle had the opportunity to read books on. However, despite the eerie setting, she knew how to navigate through the woods. She ventured through it. Numerous times.

What Twilight was unfamiliar with was the recent sightings of hung corpses. Most of these corpses appear to be that of humans. Dangling on the branches lifelessly, as they smell of decay and death. With these corpses around, it's no surprise that these parts would have guards patrolling for tresspassers. Not to mention, a murder took place. A human baby and a pony foal. In the same place. Something had to be going on.

"Twilight!" a voice peeped from the background.

Instantly, Twilight Sparkle perked her head in attention.Someone was calling her.

"Over here!" a familiar pink hoof beckoned the unicorn to a nearby brush.

Twilight approached the brush. To her surprise, it was none other than Pinkie Pie, once again doing random things. What seemed different, however, was that Pinkie had straight hair, instead of her usual whimsical curly. It may be the darkness that permeates the woods, but Pinkie appears to be in a much darker shade. What's more curious to Twilight, however, was why Pinkie would be in these woods.

"Pinkie, what the hay are you doing here?" Twilight asked.

"Oh I was just getting some special ingredients for my cupcakes!" Pinkie said. Her eyes twitched slightly.

"In the Everfree Forest?" Twilight said, bemusedly. "Pinkie, you are so random."

"Can you help me find some special ingredients?" said Pinkie Pie.

"Not right now. You realize there's been a double-murder, right?" Twilight said, with a face-hoof.

"Murder?" Pinkie said, bemusedly. "Ooh! I think I know who done it! But first step back a bit."

Twilight, utterly confused, did what Pinkie Pie said, and stepped back a few hoof-steps. As she did, however, she tripped on what appears to be a cardboard box. It seemed used, but not quite old. It looked like it wasn't there for a while. It was only slightly covered in dirt. On the side was a logo of a hat. It was similar, but not quite the same as, Applejack's hat.

"Oooooh! I wonder if that has the super-special ingredient I'm looking for!" Pinkie said.

Twilight Sparkle let out a sigh of disgust. "Pinkie, somepony obviously threw this box out because something in it was definitely not worth keeping. It's probably filled with trash or something."

As she opened the box, she found something, which released a ghastly stench. The stench of death was too strong. She took a look inside. To her horror, Twilight Sparkle found what everypony was fussing over back outside. It was the victims of the murder. One one side was the upper torso of a baby human, which was decapitated in half. The other, was a headless pony foal. This was the murder. Besides the other corpses littering the Everfree forest, this had to be the most horrific sight Twilight had ever seen.

"Twilight, are you okay?" Pinkie Pie asked, still seemingly bemused. An eye twitch.

The horror forced a thousand thoughts through Twilight's mind, mixed with copious amounts of fear and panic. Suddenly she was getting light-headed. She finally fell on the ground, vision blurring, and she felt a strange sensation, which vaguely felt like being lifted. She fell out of consciousness.